Native Place is the name of our holiday home in the hills of western India. It is also home to Nirvana Adventures, a paragliding school, run by my husband. My gardening adventure began in 2003 when we finished building Native Place and moved in. It is an all consuming hobby that I juggle along with paragliding on weekends. During the week I’m back in the city and gardening online

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Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Last week at Native Place i happened to go up
to the terrace after breakfast and was rewarded by the sighting of a huge flock
of cormorants hunting for fish. A whole swarm of them were encircling an area presumably
there were lots of fish there. From the distance they made a magnificent sight
– the surface of the water was disturbed with their flapping wings as they
swirled around creating a huge circular cauldron, diving in, running on water
and flapping about. A few straggler egrets added to the drama creating a black
and white canvas against the blue waters.

I checked out this new phenomenon that seemed
to be unfolding right in front of us for the next few days just to be sure and
yes – it was happening every day. Wow!!!
Such a wondrous sight!

For the first time one can see what seems to
be the entire colony fishing together and it makes quite an impact on the
senses.

Cormorants have been a common sight by the lake
shore at Native Place. Through the year one could spot the odd group in the
mornings by the lake shore, diving for fish and perching on tree tops and
bushes by the shores wings spread out to dry in the sun. During summer evenings one had these
exhilarating sightings where one looked up by chance to suddenly spot wave upon
wave of V shaped flocks akin to migrating geese as they flew back to their
roosting spots for the night (or so i believed)

In the recent years an entire colony has taken to roost in a grove of acacia trees on a
narrow spit of land that juts out into the lake
just a few years ago becoming our neighbors. J

Since then we have had the pleasure of watching
them at sunset time as they circle around the area and then head for a tree.
Lots of squawking and shoving goes on at sunset until they go quiet for the
night.

It’s lovely to have a pristine water body
before you and spot lake shore birds but to see an entire colony intently at
work circling low over the lake is surely special!

The pictures above simply don't convey the largeness of the phenomenon - you have to see it to feel it ! Come connect with nature at Native Place.More about Cormorants: - Cormorants are large black, fish eating birds with a long, hook tipped bill.They are daytime feeders
that hunt alone or in flocks. Cormorants feed by diving and swimming underwater.
They can dive to depths of 5 to 60 feet below the surface and stay under water
up to 70 seconds. They eat mostly fish and sometimes small invertebrates.
Cormorants use their webbed feet to propel them underwater. Cormorants run along
the surface of the water to gain enough speed for flight. Watching these diving birds by the lakeside is
a wonderful way to spend time.

Connections: - Recently i came across an interesting piece of info relating the
presence of cormorants to tarpon fishing -

When you eat like a
cormorant — which is a lot — you poop like a cormorant — which, again, is a
lot. This potent concoction falls from the cormorant's precarious perch,
entering the food chain only a few feet below. Bacteria then grow in this
enriched, (let's call it fertilized) water. Soon the plankton count their lucky
stars while feeding on this heaven-sent bounty. Small invertebrates and protozoa’s
gorge on the plankton, and on and on it goes up the line. Shrimp, crabs and
sardines bless father cormorant before gorging on the millions of minute krill
or the collected organic detritus they leave behind.

At the top of this food
chain are the tarpon. They come for the bounty the cormorant droppings provide
and, with the tarpon, come the anglers. It is simple math: more cormorants mean
more food for the tarpon's prey. More guano creates more food and more food
means more tarpon.

Perhaps we shouldn't be
so judgmental about cormorants and their greedy eating and pooping habits.
Perhaps we should be glad these ancient avians do their digesting where they
do. Perhaps we should be glad they haven't better mastered the air. Perhaps we
should be pleased they only use flight to get to the fishing grounds and then
trundle home again, straight for the mangroves.

Some guides in Mexico say
that they kill cormorants because they eat baby tarpon. Gentlemen … haven't you
learned by now that it is best not to mess with Mother Nature? Let her be. She
has things pretty well worked out, and her devices usually work to the benefit
of the angler. Mess with her, and you just may be killing the goose that laid
the golden egg. Although in this case it may not be a goose, but a cormorant,
and it may not be an egg, but a pile of … OK, OK. You get the picture. So
let's all bless the cormorants.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Folks – they have arrived! We spotted a pair last week scouting around the Nirvana Cottage Wing for a
nesting space. Heard the predawn song a few days ago a sweet whistling and had
an easy spotting soon after. Watched the pair happily at work – seems like they
too are happy to be back (they have been nesting here for a few years now) We
will now have the pleasure of watching them as they select a nesting spot and
build their nest, bring new chicks into he world and then work hard together to
feed the young chicks who have voracious appetites.

Ah – so looking forward to this ! J

Also known
as the ‘Whistling
Schoolboy’for the
whistling calls that they make at dawn -
a slow soft mellifluous call with a sense of aimlessness about it. Sounds like a carefree schoolboy whistling to
himself as he strolls along.

The species is said to be resident in the Western Ghats although
it visits the Native Place Garden to breed and raise its young. I have read that they can be spotted near rocky streams and in
riverine habitats either in the shady undergrowth or in a really difficult to spot location and are usually most active at early dawn
or dusk making them difficult to photograph

This large thrush appears blackish with shiny patches of blue
on the forehead and shoulders. It is omnivorous, eating a wide range of insects. crabs, frogs, earthworms and berries.

Kadamb (Anthocephalus Cadamba/कदंब)or
The Common Bur Flower is a large, handsome, umbrella shaped tree with
branches arranged in whorls around the central trunk. It is evergreen, fast growing
and has a graceful appearance. It produces
unique globular shaped flowers coloured a striking yellow to orange.

In India the tree is mainly associated with
Lord Krishna and stories about him and his gopis prancing about in the forests
of Brindavan among the Kadamba groves abound. This tree is also
closely associated with the Mother Goddess (often referred as Kadambavana
vasini) "She Who Resides in the Forest of Kadamba
Trees."

We
have a lovely specimen of this legendary tree in the Native Place Garden that we planted
about 7 or 8 years ago having been intrigued by the lore of its beauty as well
as its mythological and ecological associations. You can enjoy its beauty and shade throughout
the year but in the month of May the tree offers a special sensory experience when
it flowers in profusion, showing off its quaint yet beautiful flowers that
attract a host of bees and exude a heady perfume. And as the flowers drop one
finds the curious golden globes scattered all around the tree waiting to dry
off and release thousands of little seeds.

We
have built a low wall all around our Kadamba tree. A silent invitation to you
to come sit under this tree and enjoy the ambience it conjures.

The
Kadamba Anthocephalus Cadamba is often mixed up with the Kaim – Mitragaayne
parviflora a tree that is dominant in
the forests of Brindavan. Both spcies produce globular blossoms but the Kaim’s
flowers are not as striking to look at.
They also differ greatly in canopy and leaf shape. Where the Kadamba has a
straight bole and branches arranged in upward reaching whorls the Kaim has a
fairly meandering trunk.

i
came across the Kaim in the “Trees of Delhi” by Pradeep Kishen. Pradeep sheds
light on this confusion/ puzzle on page 149 –
where he informs us that the REAL Krishna Kadamb of Brindavan is Neelamarcia cadamba ‘Kaim’ not Anthocephalus Cadamba ‘Kadamba’ which
is unique to moist forests in the
NE of India and would not survive
unaided in the hot dry Brindavan
area. Kaim on the other hand is not only
native to the remnant Brindavan forests but is their dominant tree. But in the
Brindavan region the Kaim is called kadamb
J
no wonder the confusion !

Oh well !!! Our Kadamba may not
bring to mind the visual of Krishna playing his flute any more but it remains
the tree closely associated with the Mother Goddess - Kadambavana vasini "She Who Resides in the grove of Kadamba Trees."

The tree is said to be vanishing from Indian forests
and needs to be planted and celebrated once more for it its beauty,
functionality and usefulness.

Some Uses

This
beautiful tree is also known for its medicinal virtues. The tree has
astringent & antipyretic properties. It is believed to have cure
for ulcers, digestive ailments, diarrhoea, expectorant, fever, vomiting
etc.

A yellow dye is obtained from the root bark. Kadamb flowers are an important
raw material in the production of attar, Indian perfume with
Sandalwood (Santalum Album). The tree is grown along avenues, roadsides and
villages for shade. The fresh leaves are sometimes used as plates.

In Permaculture

The Kadamba is suitable for reforestation programs. It
sheds large amounts of leaf and non-leaf litter which on decomposition
improves the physical andchemical propertiesof soil.

Cultural aspects

It
is common belief among the natives of many villages in the state
Chhattisgarh that plantation of Kadamb tree near to lakes and ponds,
brings happiness and prosperity in their life.

Followers

About Me

I have had an affinity for trees for as long as I can remember. In 2003 Native Place our guesthouse in the hills of western India was completed and that’s when i began hands on gardening.
My brand of gardening is more visualizing mood and creating joyful spaces.
Don’t get me wrong I love getting my hands dirty. I also talk to my plants – no nonsense straight talk is what I call it and I think they like it.
Honestly I don’t see myself as having green fingers and definitely have a long way to go in strict gardening terms but if it involves walking up or down a garden path I am up for it.